In the video and article below, you will learn a simple yet profound open awareness meditation technique that will progressively open you to present moment awareness on increasingly profound levels.
The ability to “hang” with whatever’s going on in the present moment is one of the top life skills one can learn. It affects all aspects of life. Pure awareness is, in fact, life itself. We’re all “alive”, but we’re only partially alive.
It’s not the case that you’re either in the present moment or not. This is a progressive process. Over time, you’ll build more synapses that connect the neurons.
During this process, you will realize that reality exists on finer and finer levels. After a while, each present moment becomes more and more vast and infinite as you approach pure awareness.
How to Do the Present Moment Open Awareness Meditation
Sit in any meditation posture you prefer, on a cushion or in a chair. Stack your vertebrae one on top of another, all the way up. Tuck in your chin a little bit so that your crown is holding up the sky. You may also stand. The same principles apply.
Close your eyes. Relax and take a few deep breaths through the nose. After a few breaths, it doesn’t matter how deeply you’re breathing. The breath will deepen as time goes on.
Something’s going to draw your attention, and it’s likely a feeling in your body. I have some issues with body alignment, as of this writing. These issues affect the alignment of the jaw as well. In this meditation, I often first notice some tension in the jaw and forehead. Whatever comes up, go to that.
Becoming Aware of Tension & Letting it Go
As you’re hanging out with the sensation, you may find that your awareness expands to the point where you see where to let go of just a little bit of tension. Maybe there was something you were doing with your jaw, for instance, that you can change so that there’s a little less tension. At the same time, just allow whatever is happening in the present moment.
Pure awareness has a natural tendency to dissolve tension. A resolution just might happen on its own.
How to Know Whether to Start Controlling Your Awareness
At some point, the current sensation may loosen it’s hold on you. It’s calling out to you less. There might be something else going on in the body that is more compelling now. Go there and repeat the process. Just hang out with whatever’s going on.
How to Work With Thoughts, Emotions & Antsy Feelings
Thoughts and emotions may come up at times. You may also experience antsy feelings as your brain resists the present moment awareness.
Treat all these things the same way you treat the body sensations. Hang out with them without judgment. Even thoughts are just processes happening within you in the present moment. Notice any body sensations caused by the thought or emotion and hang with those, too.
Pure open awareness of these thoughts and emotions may just cause them to disappear into the background again when they don’t need your attention anymore. Something else will come up that will call out for your attention. Go there and hang out.
Maybe your foot is a little tense. Maybe your breath is calling your attention. A feeling of anxiety in your chest just might be asking you for some loving assistance. A car containing 25 cackling clowns and the circus elephant drives by your house. As your present moment awareness deepens, you’ll find it easier to go exactly where you’re needed.
How Often Should You Practice Open Awareness for Best Results?
As with all techniques, this meditation will provide full benefits only if you practice it consistently. Once or twice per day for anywhere between 10-60 minutes is a good rule of thumb. Make sure that you at least do it every day.
The more you practice this open awareness meditation, the easier time you will have entering the present moment at any given time. This is so even when you’re not officially meditating. Your capacity for being more available to yourself and others will dramatically increase in small and large leaps with practice.
Share Your Insights or Questions
What are your experiences with pure open awareness meditation? Share them in a comment below.
Is anything unclear/wrong/etc? Ask a question or chime in with some input below.
Tom Von Deck is a meditation trainer, speaker, and speaker. Tom specializes in making meditation much much easier for busy and non-busy people from all backgrounds and paths. He is the Mackdaddy of The Deeper Meditation Video Zone and DeeperMeditation.net.
2 comments
Niyasameen
Hi Tanya! I’ve just tried this Rotation of Body awareness tienhcque and it was great! I am one who is most definitely in need of getting out of my head! Bringing my attention to the body and being aware of feeling sensations throughout my body does help. This is a fabulous tienhcque and I really liked it! I did feel sensations in certain body parts and an all over tingling and relaxing feeling toward the end with the focus on the whole body. This is fun and quick and can and will use this daily : ) Thank you!